The Best Concerts in OC This Weekend

Don't forget to check out our constantly updated OC Concert Calendar

Friday, November 12

RX Bandits
The Glass House
RX Bandits' 2014 release Gemini, Her Majesty confirms that the band are, without a doubt, jelling at a higher level. They are proggier than ever, which shouldn't surprise anyone following the band during the past decade. Catch them on Friday at the Glass House, where thy will reform the entire new album from beginning to end. Their second show on Saturday will feature a setlist voted on by their fans. (Adam Lovinus)

]

X
The Coach House
Nostalgia can't compete with loud, furious and artistically cutting-edge reality, but it might be fun to try both this holiday season, and take along Mom and Dad and the kids who you've forced to listen along to your favorite old-school original LA punk bands. The legendary Coach House and Xmas seem the near-perfect and venerable local venue and holiday to reunite, again, the roots-rock So Cal punk extended family, for a seasonal Xumenical holiday show with the enduringly vibrant Exene, John Doe, Billy Zane and DJ Bonebrake. And, no kidding, The Blasters open this show, a sweating, sonic two-fer stroll down Memory Lane and, better, down that dark, still-dangerous, filthy back-alley where this now ur-American music echoes. (Andrew Tonkovich)

Saturday, December 13

Reverend Horton Heat Night 2
The Observatory
Usually, when a musician is about to celebrate their 30th anniversary, it means that the nostalgia circuit is calling and it is time to honor the past. Not for Reverend Horton Heat. His eleventh studio album, REV, was released after a five year wait and with a punk rock label, Victory Records, a big departure from his previous handle, Yep Roc. The move proved to be a fruitful one–REV peaked at No. 111 on the Billboard 200, which for Jim Heath, marked the highest charting album of his long career. If nothing else, Reverend Horton Heat's reputation for infusing rockabilly and psychobilly with a splash of country music has not only made him endearingly popular as a live act, but brought these genres into the mainstream, an accomplishment in itself. (Daniel Kohn)

Sunday, December 14

Pepper
The Observatory
When your Sunday evening is bland and could use a little spice, there's no better band than Pepper. Formed in the mid-'90s with guitarist/vocalist Kaleo Wassman, bassist/vocalist Bret Bollinger and drummer Yesod Williams, the band is unique in the fact that it remains intact with those same members, some 15 years later. And the Hawaiian-bred reggae pop rockers are still selling out shows. (Amanda Parsons)

Los Angeles Symphony Holiday Concert
Cerritos Center
There's truly no more uplifting way to ring in the holidays than with stellar classical music and opera. KUSC radio's been doing its part so far this season, broadcasting a wealth of gorgeousness, but why not hear it live? This holiday showcase by the LA Symphony promises to lift you up with compositions by Handel, Gounod, Mozart, Beethoven and Bizet, as well as a selection of Korean art song and beloved Christmas standards such as “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Silent Night.” Featuring the impressive voices of Baritone Ki Hoon Yoon, Soprano Jung Won Choi, and Tenor Joshua Guerreo, the 50-piece symphony and 50-member choir are conducted by Maestro Hyun Sang Joo, music director of the LA Symphony for more than a decade. Go get your holiday spirit on, and bask in the the hallelujahs. (SR Davies)


See also
10 Punk Albums to Listen to Before You Die
10 Goriest Album Covers
10 Most Satanic Metal Bands

Follow us on Twitter @ocweeklymusic . Like us on Facebook at Heard Mentality

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *